Schools in the east of England urged to get involved in Restart a Heart Day 2017

Schools are being urged to apply to get involved in Britain’s biggest lifesaving lesson.

More than 150,000 children and young people across the country learnt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Restart a Heart Day 2016.

Almost 30 schools in the east have already applied to take part in this year’s event, which takes place on October 16 and it's not too late for others to sign up.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) staff and volunteers will be teaching lifesaving skills to students throughout the day.

Simon Marshall, one of EEAST’s community partnership training officers, said: “CPR is a simple skill that anyone can learn that dramatically improves the chances of survival of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

“We are hoping to teach as many students as possible on 16th October to equip the next generation of lifesavers with the skills and knowledge they need if they come across someone who is not breathing.”

Restart a Heart Day involves every ambulance service in the UK, the Resuscitation Council, the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.

The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest drop 10 per cent a minute if CPR is not started, and survival rates are less than one in 10 people.

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